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Rick's List
Arizona's Immigration Controversy; Charlie Crist Leaving Republican Party?; Protests on Wall Street
Aired April 29, 2010 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: There's actually a rally on Wall Street, but it's not the kind we usually talk about. People are going to be marching on Wall Street in a little bit. They're protesting some of these fat cats and what they have done there.
But, in the meantime, let's find out what the other fat cats are doing.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Poppy Harlow is...
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: ... checking in on Wall Street for us, the numbers.
And hey, you know, the Senate finally is going to take up the Wall Street regulation.
POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Well, what do you know? What's going on?
HARLOW: Finally. I mean, look, the market likes it. We're looking at the Dow. Let's pull up the numbers here, if we can, for folks.
We're up 117 points on the Dow, up on the Nasdaq, on the S&P, a great day for the market. This is why we have got finally an agreement across party lines that lawmakers in the Senate will at least take up the financial reform bill, Rick.
I want to talk to you about the major issues here. Don't expect a vote today, tomorrow. Don't expect any real deep discussion on the floor until Tuesday. That's what our sources are saying. And they have got two sticking points.
One of them is, how do you deal with institutions that are too big to fail? Can a capitalist, free market society have the government hand that involved? That's an issue. Another big issue, how do you protect consumers? Should there be a separate consumer protection agency?
You're going to hear lawmakers debating. It will be fireworks for sure on the floor of the Senate on that one, really starting next week. But taking a look at the closing numbers, as we go into it, Rick, a pretty nice...
SANCHEZ: It's up.
HARLOW: ... pretty nice close. We got good earnings. We got better- than--expected jobless numbers. Wall Street likes this.
Remember, two days ago, though, we had a massive sell-off, so, a very volatile week on the Street right now. And everyone wants some confirmation on just what is going to happen with our financial system. This would be the broadest overhaul of our banks, Rick, since the Great Depression, since the 1930s -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: Some people would look at certain sectors of our economy right now, and they would, you know what? We're coming out of troubled times...
HARLOW: Right.
SANCHEZ: ... and things are starting to look good again.
HARLOW: Yes, good point.
SANCHEZ: However...
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: And we will -- we will save the however for tomorrow.
We will just smile with these great numbers we're looking at right here, up 122.
HARLOW: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Market stays over 11000.
Poppy Harlow, my thanks to you. We will see you again tomorrow.
HARLOW: See you, Rick.
SANCHEZ: All right, hour two. Here we go. Time to pick up the pace of today's LIST.
For those of you who have now just checked in, a lot of stuff has been going on over the better part of the last 15 minutes or so. The outrage has been building against Wall Street, as I mentioned moments ago, for months now, you know, the Goldman Sachs spectacle that we showed you yesterday and the day before on Capitol Hill.
Now, look -- look what is going on, on the left there. "Take back our democracy." This is a protest that's taking place right at the heart of Wall Street. This is that rally I told you about. Americans have been showing up essentially to say, you better reform and regulate this.
Let -- let's listen into this a little bit.
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS (singing): We will, we will rock you!
SANCHEZ: "We will rock you," huh?
Mary Snow is there. She's following it for us. We're going to go to her in just a minute.
Also, there's another hot-button issue in Arizona's divisive new immigration law. Take a look at these folks, more protests in our nation. This is in Chicago. And why, you ask, is it in Chicago? Well, the Arizona baseball team -- they're called the Diamondbacks -- are playing the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
So, they bring the law and the fallout with them about the law, it seems. Right outside Wrigley Field, there's a protest that's been organized on Facebook. Critics say the law could lead to racial profiling. They're telling people all over the country to protest the Arizona Diamondback baseball team because, they say, the Arizona Diamondback baseball team has contributed all of its money to Republicans, who they say are the ones who are behind this very stringent Arizona law.
That's what they say. So, the protesters say they're going to start these rallies, 700 and -- 779 people, they say, have showed up or have signed up to protest this. In just a few minutes, I'm going to talk to a man, by the way, who is supposed to come up with a way for police to spot who is illegal and who's not illegal, according to what he's been told to do by the governor of the state.
Now, we're also standing by for Florida Governor Charlie Crist. He's scheduled to make a major announcement. It should be coming probably in the next 45 or 50 minutes. And, as soon as it happens, you will see it here. He's expected to say that he's going to run for U.S. Senate as an independent, basically abandoning the Republican Party that has donated to his political race against Republican Marco Rubio.
Now, there's questions about this as well.
CNN's chief political correspondent, Candy Crowley, is in Florida.
Candy, it almost sounds like he's hedging his bet when confronted by a reporter. Is there any reason to believe he's not going to do what -- what yesterday we reported he was going to do?
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well...
(LAUGHTER)
CROWLEY: ... yes, because politicians can be mercurial. Certainly, I would think if, overnight -- we know he's been talking to a lot of his donors and a lot of those people that collect donations over the last week or so. We were told that was continuing today.
Certainly, if he got huge bad news, that would cause one for pause at least. You know, people could have called him from the party. He once endorsed John McCain when John McCain was running for president, which was big news here in Florida.
There -- there's all kinds of things that could happen. But I still don't see any particular sign that it won't be that's he running as an independent...
SANCHEZ: We...
CROWLEY: ... because we're told what they're looking at, in fact, is some polling shows that, if it were a three-way race, he would do pretty well.
SANCHEZ: OK. He just tweeted, by the way. He's going to be showing up at -- he says he will be there at 5:00 p.m. There's the tweet from Charlie Crist.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: We follow him, obviously.
"Looking forward to seeing everyone at Straub Park tonight at 5:00 p.m."
Well, what about this, Candy? What about the possibility that a lot of the folks who have given him a lot of money on the Republican side, campaign donors, have maybe let him know that, you know what, we gave you this so you would run as a Republican; we didn't give you this money so you would run as an independent, so, if you run as an independent, we want our money back?
Is that enough to make him think twice about changing his affiliation?
CROWLEY: I suppose it depends on how much money we're talking about here.
(LAUGHTER)
CROWLEY: He's not been as good over the last quarter or so as Marco Rubio, his Republican opponent has done, in raising money.
Certainly, you would expect that at least some of those -- and we are told that some of those Republicans have said, wait a minute, this wasn't the deal I signed up for.
There are Republican Party donors who are going to vote for the Republican. And this is -- we have already seen that the governor has lost some people on his staff. So, there's also that problem.
SANCHEZ: Hmm.
CROWLEY: So, there's -- this is not the easiest of things to do.
But the governor has a reputation of being a bit of a risk-taker. This certainly would be a risk. I mean, if he wants a future in politics, if he doesn't win this time around, you wonder where he would go from here.
SANCHEZ: Hmm.
CROWLEY: But, on the other hand, he was more than 20 points down from Marco Rubio, his closest -- his only Republican opponent. So, it might have been a risk -- might be a risk worth taking.
SANCHEZ: Candy Crowley reporting for us there, watching to see when the governor actually shows up.
Are you -- are you at Straub Park?
CROWLEY: Am I? Yes, I am. It's beautiful, by the way.
SANCHEZ: It's almost having a...
CROWLEY: Can you see the...
SANCHEZ: Go ahead.
CROWLEY: Can you see the crowd behind me?
SANCHEZ: Oh, yes, yes. They're getting ready to go.
CROWLEY: Mostly media.
SANCHEZ: That's wonderful.
CROWLEY: Lots of media.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Candy Crowley also happens to be having a wonderful hair day. Just thought I would mention that.
CROWLEY: Oh, thanks.
SANCHEZ: Just saying.
CROWLEY: Why, thank you.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Appreciate it, Candy, reporting to us.
If anything changes there, obviously, or the -- if the governor comes out early, we will obviously take you there.
Now, check your 401(k) balance and smile. The stock market is way up today.
Mary Snow is on Wall Street. And she's not reporting about Wall Street being up. She is reporting about people who are angry with Wall Street and want our government to do something about it.
What's going on there, Mary? MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rick, we have a crowd behind us, too. And this is really the voice of Main Street taking their anger to Wall Street, where, a few blocks away from Wall Street, these protesters here plan to hold a march, the rally just getting under way.
Take a look at some of these signs. "Jobs, Main Street America USA." Over here, "Wall Street overdrafted our economy." These protesters really hold the big banks accountable for the economic collapse.
This rally has been organized by unions and community groups, the AFL- CIO calling this rally today. And the message that they are trying to send is, hold Wall Street accountable. They are saying that the big banks and risky behavior are to blame for the loss of jobs, loss of homes and their savings. And they say their message essentially is, enough is enough, and they want their voice to be heard, and they're taking that out to the street today.
They're hoping that thousands of people will turn out for this rally this afternoon -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: I will tell you, I imagine they're pleased now that the Republicans will join hands, if not forces, with the Democrats to come up with some financial reform legislation?
SNOW: They definitely are calling for financial reform legislation.
And some of the specific things that they want, they also want -- they're calling for a specific tax on bonuses for people working at big banks. And they're calling for -- you know, some of the people I have been talking to say, you know, they really -- one woman said that she really hasn't protested all that much in her life, and she felt that this is the time she had to come out.
She says she wants banks to be fair. These people are angry about the bailouts. And they want help with their mortgages. And there are people in this crowd who have had their homes foreclosed, and they really want some help.
SANCHEZ: Great stuff, Mary. Let us know if anything gets too exciting there. We will be following up.
In the meantime, take a look at this. This is Arizona's governor. She says one group, the AZ POST, which is essentially the police board, state police board, will determine what an immigrant -- illegal immigrant description is. It's a tough task, it seems. Just how do they plan to go about doing that? That's ahead.
Also this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have ordered the secretaries of interior and homeland security, as well as Administrator Lisa Jackson of the Environmental Protection Agency, to visit the site on Friday to ensure that BP and the entire U.S. government is doing everything possible, not just to respond to this incident, but also to determine its cause.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: OK. What is the president talking about? I will tell you what he's talking about. He's talking about an environmental potential disaster, all right? The situation along the Gulf, with all those thousands of gallons of oil seeping out from a leak, has gotten worse. In fact, it's gotten much worse. Now we're tracking the possibility that five times more oil has been seeping out than we thought before. It's an oil spill now about the size of Jamaica.
And we're told it could hit the shores, some shores -- not sure where -- tonight. And the president is getting involved. The U.S. military is getting involved. And we are all over this story.
That is next on RICK'S LIST.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: There is so much going on today, so many developments in so many of the stories that we're following for you.
Let me bring you the roundup right now, stuff we're keeping a very close eye on here. It's ugly, it is poisonous, and it could hit parts of the Louisiana shoreline within hours. You heard the president just moments ago.
A huge tide of oil has spilled from that destroyed drilling site. It's riding the current, waves and wind straight toward the Louisiana or Mississippi or Alabama or Florida beaches, some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, by the way.
And get this. A couple hundred thousand gallons of oil are still pouring into the water every day where that BP rig burned and sank last week. There is right now an enormous effort under way to try and minimize and contain the spill.
But ecologists and business types are all bracing for an enormous impact. They're thinking about burning it. And now we learn, first thing this morning, that it's five times more oil than we originally thought. So, this is a problem for that delicate coastal environment we're watching.
Word just into CNN that one of the two Kentucky coal miners trapped underground overnight is dead. Rescuers reportedly found the miner's body just a short time ago. As for the other man still trapped more than four miles deep in the mine, we don't know. Here's what we do know. A mine spokesperson has said the ceiling just collapsed where several men were working. That mine has a history, by the way, of safety issues.
Funeral today at Washington's National Cathedral. President Obama paid tribute to civil rights icon Dorothy Height, calling her life an unambiguous record of righteous work. The president, vice president, congressional leaders, and several Cabinet members attended the service. The woman called the godmother of the civil rights movement died last week. Dorothy Height was 98 years old.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
NICK CLEGG, LEADER, U.K. LIBERAL DEMOCRAT PARTY: Small amounts of money to invest in old dockyards and ship yards...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.
CLEGG: ... so that we manufacture the new green technologies...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Mr. Clegg.
CLEGG: ... of the future as well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But, Nick...
SANCHEZ: Yes, these are the British debates. They're making our political list. They're going on as we speak.
And we're following, possibly getting ready to dip in when they start talking about the stuff that is to interest of our -- that interests us over here on this side of the pond -- not stuffy at all, by the way. in fact, they look more like the debates we should have in this country -- not talking points, an actual argument.
They have been at it now for some time. We will dip in from time to time.
Also, this -- this lawmaker wants to force the smallest American citizens out of the country because their parents are illegal immigrants. We're talking about children. You might imagine what list he might be going on. We will let you see.
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.
And I think I mentioned around this time yesterday that everybody seems to have an opinion about illegal immigration. And they ought to. The thing is, sometimes, those opinions find their way onto our list. Which list? Today, it's the list you don't want to be on.
And here is today's case in point. That's Congressman Duncan Hunter, Republican from California. He replaced his father, the elder Duncan Hunter, in the U.S. House a couple of years ago. The current congress -- congressman attended a Tea Party rally over the weekend. And when somebody asked him, "What do you do with kids born in the United States to illegals? he said, it would be cheaper to just send them back. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DUNCAN HUNTER (R), CALIFORNIA: But would I support the deportation of natural-born American citizens that are the kids of illegal aliens?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
HUNTER: I would have to, yes.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(CROSSTALK)
HUNTER: This is a -- it's a complex issue. And it's -- you know, you can look and say, you're a -- a mean guy. You know, that's a -- that's a mean thing to do. That's not a humanitarian thing to do.
We simply cannot afford what we're doing right now. We just can't afford it. California is going under. How much in -- in debt are we, $20 billion, $30 billion?
At least (INAUDIBLE) it's between $10 billion and $20 billion in this state that we spend on illegal immigration. Like he said, that's health services. That's education and jails.
We just can't afford it anymore. That's it. And we're not -- we're not being mean. We're just saying it's -- it takes more than walking across the border to become an American citizen. It's within our souls, not just walking across the border (INAUDIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Being an American is in our souls, he says.
The problem is, sending them back, of course, would violate the Constitution of the United States. It would also be in opposition to even proposals suggested by organizations like FAIR, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which is the group that helped write the Arizona ball -- in other words -- the Arizona bill.
In other words, Congressman Hunter is to the right of the folks on the right who have been pushing for immigration reform. And, by the way, would you also send a child back to Ireland? Would you send a child back to Germany? Would you send a child back to Russia or France?
We contacted Congressman Hunter's office in Washington today just to ask the question. His staff told us that the congressman is a supporter of the U.S. House Bill 1868 that would deport any child born in this country to undocumented immigrants.
The problem is, that legislation has never been approved. It's never passed since it -- since it was introduced more than a year ago. Today, Congressman Duncan Hunter, number one on the list that you don't want to be on.
British debates for prime minister, intense, dramatic, by far the best political TV you will see, certainly more engaging, most would argue, than many of the debates that we have with our presidential candidates. You will see it. We will be dipping in. Also, how will Arizona police know what an illegal immigrant looks like? We're going to put that question to this man, who is with the group that's been handed, really, the responsibility of trying to figure out this new law. That is next. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.
Back to our immigration list, how Arizona plans to enforce its new law that lets police question and detain anyone they suspect is an illegal immigrant. We have been talking about this.
A lot of people around the country are worried that the law will result in racial profiling, that the law may be unconstitutional. There's already questions today that it's going to be challenged. These are people protesting the law, interestingly enough, in Chicago. Why? Because Arizona's baseball team is playing there, and, somehow, they believe that, by protesting the baseball team, they are protesting the law as well.
This is a piece of video. It caught our attention. It was coming in throughout the day. Now, let me show you another piece of video. This is from Friday, OK? This is what the governor said. And when she said it, I kind of winced. And the reason I winced is -- well, I think you will get the sense of what I'm talking about when you hear it for yourself.
Let's do this together.
Hit this sound from Friday, Rog.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JAN BREWER (R), ARIZONA: I do not know what an illegal immigrant looks like.
I can tell you that I think that there are people in Arizona that assume they know what an illegal immigrant looks like. I don't know if they know that for a fact or not.
But I know that, if AZ POST gets their selves together, works on this law, puts down the description, that the law will be enforced civilly, fairly, and without discriminatory points to it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Well, let's find out if AZ POST has gotten themselves together and "put down a description" -- quote, stop quote.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: I want to join down on this by being joined now by the man. His name -- his name is Lyle Mann. He's the top man at AZ POST. What is AZ POST? I know it sounds to most of us from different states like something other than a police agency. (LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: But it actually is. It is the Arizona Peace Officer and Standards Board, all right?
Mr. Mann, how are you, sir?
LYLE MANN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ARIZONA PEACE OFFICER AND STANDARDS BOARD: Excellent. And yourself, sir?
SANCHEZ: I can only imagine that, when you heard the governor said that, you took a big gulp, like, oh, that's what we got to do?
Is it?
MANN: Well, it -- it was. But we're up to the challenge, and we're going to get it done.
SANCHEZ: So, you are going to put out a -- quote -- "description of what an illegal immigrant looks like"?
MANN: No, that's not exactly what the -- what our challenge is.
Our challenge...
SANCHEZ: But that -- that's what she said.
MANN: Well, our challenge is to -- to put together the training that officers are going to use to enforce the law.
You know, what -- Rick, if you go back to the question that was asked of the governor...
SANCHEZ: Right.
MANN: ...even if you thought about it from your perspective, given your background and your status, what did you think of the question that she was asked? Do you think that was even a fair question to her?
SANCHEZ: No, you're probably right. That's a heck of a question she was asked. As I recall -- and let's go through this -- I think she was asked, what does an illegal immigrant look like, right?
MANN: That's correct.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
MANN: And would -- would you have asked that question of her?
SANCHEZ: No. The question, in and of itself, seems judgmental.
MANN: That's exactly my -- my point. And I think that's a good point for you to make.
SANCHEZ: Well, but then why did she try to answer it... (LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: ... and say that she doesn't know...
MANN: Well...
SANCHEZ: ... but you're going to tell her?
(LAUGHTER)
MANN: Rick, that...
(LAUGHTER)
MANN: ... that -- that, too, is an unfair question.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Yes, because I'm putting you in a situation where you may to have to criticize your own governor. And I don't want to do that to you, OK?
MANN: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: So, -- let's -- let's -- let's leave that alone.
All right, let's talk about brass tacks here. When you look at this law -- and here's what the debate is really about -- is it saying to -- to police officers -- and is this what you're going to tell police officers -- that, any time they see someone that looks like they might be an illegal alien, they are mandated to arrest them or question them?
Because that's what -- that's the take that a lot of people are getting around the country. Can you clear it up for us?
MANN: Well, I can understand the -- the angst. I can understand the question. And I can understand where you're trying to go.
Where we're at is -- is much earlier in the process. We have -- we have looked at the law. We have brought together all of the experts that we have available to us. We're looking at all of the resources we have. We're looking at the different training programs that are out there.
We're looking at all of the resources and stakeholders in trying to assess how we're going to train it and what we're going to say. We have divided it into sections, so we have the information gathered by the experts in those areas. And then we will be in a better position to know exactly what we're going to do and exactly what we're going to say.
It's just too early for this complicated a matter for me to make any kind of statement other than that.
SANCHEZ: Yes, I get it. I get it. But let me -- let me ask you this way, then, because I -- you know, I'm not going to try and have you, you know, issue the Normandy invasion for us at this point...
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: ... because you're still working your way through it. I get it.
But -- but are you concerned that you're walking a fine line around the U.S. Constitution as you divide these guys -- as you decide -- decide what your guidelines are going to be?
MANN: That's a legal question that -- that -- that -- what I do know is that I have hired and selected some very, very fine legal minds to work on this matter and to advise us and create for the board the very best advice.
My angst actually comes from -- from the hyperbole, if you will, or the concerns that -- that somehow are -- are directed towards professionalism of the law enforcement community in -- in Arizona.
You know, the men and women who do the job of law enforcement are second to none.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
MANN: Our standards are -- are as good as any other state. Our training is as good as any other state. And I would defy anyone to find better, more professional individuals.
And a lot of what is being said...
SANCHEZ: Would you say that about...
MANN: ... chastise them.
SANCHEZ: Well, but -- and I agree with you. And as -- you probably have been watching our show this week. We have had the guy from Tucson on. We have had a whole litany of people. And you're right, top-notch dudes.
Would you say what you're saying now about Joe Arpaio?
MANN: Joe -- the -- the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is a professional organization who -- who serves the public here in Arizona as well as any other state...
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Has he overreached? Do you believe that Arpaio...
MANN: I -- I have no -- I have no idea of what you're talking about, Rick. I don't have any information on that.
SANCHEZ: All right, let me ask you one other thing. Yesterday, I had somebody come on the air here, and they said that the reason that they needed to do this in Arizona is because the crime in Arizona is rampant, especially when it comes to illegal immigrants.
I checked the -- the -- the actual crime stats. And what I found was -- I don't know if we have got these, Roger, but we can hopefully go through them real quick -- population in Arizona has gone up about 600,000 from 2005 to 2008, from 5.9 to 6.5 -- violent crime down from 2005 to 2008 because you guys have done a good job, from 30,000 to 29,000. Property crime, down from 2005 to 2008, from 287,000 to 278,000. And this was, like, pretty much across the board.
Now, I didn't even know what the crime stats were, but I looked at them because I'm hearing people say, oh, it's out of control. It doesn't look on paper, the facts don't seem to indicate that the crime is out of control in Arizona.
MANN: I couldn't comment on the background to why -- what the juxtaposed issue of crime control and crime stats versus what they're doing. I would say that, apparently, our officers are doing an outstanding job with the resources they have.
SANCHEZ: Yes, they are. And I think that makes the argument that if the current system -- or I think some people might argue if the current system seems to be working, and if crime is going down, why do we need to change the law? But that's for politicians and for others to discuss, not for you and me.
MANN: That's correct, Rick. My job is to train the officers, and we're going to do it. And we're going to do it in a professional and correct way.
SANCHEZ: And you know what? Thanks for being so stand up and coming here and taking these questions. I know you're in a difficult spot right now.
But do me a favor. As we go through the process, can you check back with us from time to time? And we'll report what you believe is news.
MANN: Thank you very much, sir.
SANCHEZ: I appreciate it.
Lyle Mann, my thanks to him for joining us with the police board there in Arizona.
Now, take a look at this. The British debates to pick the next prime minister could be the blueprint for the way that we do presidential candidate debates here in this country. Some are saying maybe it should because it's the best political TV we've seen in some time.
We're going to show you some more. It's live. We'll dip in.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SANCHEZ: I want to welcome you back.
There is breaking news on a story that we have been following. It's about that oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, and this is not good. Apparently, it is now much worse than we previously thought, and we just have gotten some information.
Now, I got to tell you, Chad Myers already told us that he suspected this would happen. But The Associated Press has now come up with a full report saying essentially what Chad had intimated earlier.
Chad, take it away.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, we knew that this was about six miles off shore, the leading edge of the oil, literally the leading edge of the initial tar balls that have broken off from the main oil slick about six miles off shore. Winds blowing 15, 20 miles per hour. So you don't have to be an expert to figure out that you're going to probably move these tar balls at two or three miles per hour toward the land. And now it's going to be getting to land tonight, as we suspected.
SANCHEZ: So they're saying it will get to land. And where?
MYERS: Right there, Pilottown.
SANCHEZ: That's Mississippi?
MYERS: That is Louisiana. That's the Mississippi River, but that's the very, very tip of the eastern/southeastern most part of Louisiana. Nobody lives there except birds and marine life.
SANCHEZ: Well, that's good.
MYERS: That's good, right? You have to get up into Venice and you have to -- even Pilottown, there's only about 15 people there. There's not even a road to get to that town that you saw there.
SANCHEZ: Right.
MYERS: But if you get up into Venice, and you get up a little bit farther to the north, up on 23, that's when you begin to see the people. That's when you begin to see the people that will be affected by this. But it's more of a marine life situation right now.
SANCHEZ: So Pilottown is just the beginning of this thing.
MYERS: That's where the pilots live.
SANCHEZ: No, no. I mean, you say the first part that's going to be impacted is Pilottown.
MYERS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: And then after Pilottown? MYERS: Well, the whole national wildlife refuge that's there, that's going to be affected. And so, then, high tide comes in tomorrow morning at 9:00 with winds out of the southeast at 15 to 20.
SANCHEZ: Yes, there's the map. There's the map.
MYERS: So this is just going to be really coming in. There's the slick. Later today --
SANCHEZ: So that triangle right there, Chad, the apex of that triangle, that's pretty much the origin point?
MYERS: Well, I would say under the letter "C" is the middle of the slick, is where the leakage is actually occurring. And for the most time, for five, seven, six, whatever days, all the winds have been blowing off shore, keeping that off shore. But now the winds have turned around, as we expected, and are blowing it back on shore, right from the southeast -- from the east to the west.
SANCHEZ: Right. So they're blowing it west, right into that area there around New Orleans.
MYERS: Right into the delta.
SANCHEZ: And what about Biloxi? What about Mobile? What about the Florida panhandle, as we see it just north of there?
MYERS: Still two or three days away before it gets up there.
SANCHEZ: But you say two or three days away if it gets there, or it almost definitely will?
MYERS: Oh, it will get there. Now, it will get there, initially as these tar balls that you're familiar with in south Florida. I don't even know where they come from in south Florida, but they show up all the time.
SANCHEZ: Because -- I'll tell you why. Because big giant ships clean their hulls off shore, even though they're not supposed to, and they're the ones who cause that situation out there.
MYERS: So these similar tar balls, golf ball size, sometimes baseball size, will be in the delta tonight. And that will be farther west tomorrow, and farther west, and farther up that Highway 23, all the way for the next couple of days. Then finally up to Biloxi, Bay St. Louis, all the way over to Pascagoula, as it gets on up there.
The longer the oil stays in the water, the thicker it gets, the easier it is to clean up. The Exxon Valdez, it crashed on shore. So it had no time to evaporate.
SANCHEZ: Right.
MYERS: It just went right on shore. And you remember all those sickening pictures of all those dirty birds.
SANCHEZ: Right.
MYERS: Well, that's not going to happen initially with this, because that oil has been out there floating around for a few days, evaporating, clumping, sludging. And so it's going to be a better situation than the Exxon Valdez, at least for now.
SANCHEZ: Are you a Falcons fan?
MYERS: Some.
SANCHEZ: Dirty birds?
MYERS: I remember --
SANCHEZ: Couldn't help myself.
MYERS: I know.
SANCHEZ: Thanks. Good explanation. Keep us honest.
Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: In New Jersey, hospitals hike their prices higher than any other state in the country -- 326 percent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Whoa! Three-hundred and twenty-six percent? That's unbelievable.
How can you get the same health care for a fraction of the cost? That's ahead. This is news you can use.
And as we head to the break, let's take another look now at that rally on Wall Street. No, we're not talking about a rally on Wall Street. We're talking about a rally on Wall Street. Get it?
There's a rally there, folks, and we've got it covered. These are live pictures.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back.
How would you like to see real politicians have to think on their feet, as opposed to just delivering talking points after some moderator asks a question which they only get to answer for, like, one minute? Orchestrated stuff. That's not what they're doing right now in Birmingham, England.
These are the three guys who want to lead their nation. They're talking about many of the same issues that we are talking about, that we are interested in, in this country, especially when it comes to Wall Street and our economy.
So, they are doing the type of debate that many Americans wish we did in this country -- politicians actually arguing things out amongst themselves. These are three of the most powerful men in England.
When we come back, I am going to let you hear what's going on over there, some of the meaty substance, some of the arguments. This is good TV. My colleague, Roger Clark, is going to be taking me through it, because he's been monitoring it as well. And we'll have that for you as soon as we come back from this break.
This is RICK'S LIST. We're scrolling on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.
And I'm joined by Roger Clark from our international -- one of our international gurus over here.
I am fascinated by this debate. I think it's a much more open debate than what we generally have in the United States. I think there's a lot that we Americans can learn from. And we're going to play a clip of it in just a moment as we dip in.
Can you explain that to me? First of all, why it's so salient. And B, what is it about these guys that makes them so comfortable going at each other like this.
ROGER CLARK, DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL COVERAGE: What do you talk about on your show day in, day out? Do you talk about jobs? Do you talk about immigration?
SANCHEZ: No question.
CLARK: Do you talk about taxation? Do you talk about public spending.
SANCHEZ: Wall Street.
CLARK: Do you talk about regulating the banks? Do you talk about bankers' bonuses? Do you talk about how to help these hard-working families?
Do you talk about that on your show?
SANCHEZ: Every day.
CLARK: That's what they're talking about tonight in Britain. If you were to play that debate on American television, forget the British accents. Put American accents there. It could be John McCain and Barack Obama in your studio. The issues are so, so similar.
SANCHEZ: Let's pick up a little bit of this, and then you and I on the back side.
Hit it, Rog, if you would.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CAMERON, U.K. CANDIDATE FOR PRIME MINISTER: -- to what the prime minister has just said, is that if you look at the Labour record over the last 13 years, they did very much hitch the whole fortunes of the economy to the city of London. And we got into a situation where we ended up with the whole economy having to serve the banks rather than the other way around.
I assume the banker that we're just being told about was probably Fred Goodwin, so-called "Fred the Shred." It was actually this government that gave this than man a knighthood for services to banking. He not only broke his own bank, he very nearly brought down the whole economy.
So there are big, big lessons to learn. And I think the most important is that we put the Bank of England back in charge of regulating the banks and give them the specific duty of calling time on debt in the economy.
Things got completely out of control. The banks were regulated, but badly, and by the wrong organization. And the one party that wants to scrap the current system and put the Bank of England back in charge and change things is the conservatives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Clegg?
NICK CLEGG, U.K. CANDIDATE FOR PRIME MINISTER: Well, David Cameron has been talking about parties being too close to the city. The blunt truth is that both Conservative and Labour governments now for ages have been far too close to the city, basically preferring the interests of the one square mile of the city of London, rather than the hundred thousand square miles of the whole of the United Kingdom. And what I think we now need to do is look fundamentally at what went wrong and the way in which banks were working.
And my view is this -- that as long as you have banks which mix up high-risk, free-wheeling casino investment banking, on the one hand, and the sort of conservative, sober, retail high street banking, which we all depend on, then you're asking for trouble. And that's why -- the governor of the Bank of England says this as well -- many people are increasingly saying we should split up the banks between investment banking, and the one hand, and high street banking on another in order to ensure that we never, ever, ever again have the banks hold a gun to the head of the rest of the British economy. And still, we haven't done enough to protect ourselves of that risk in the future.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Brown, do you want to respond?
GORDON BROWN, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We have taxed the banks on bonuses with a $2 billion tax that came through in the pre-budget report. We are ensuring that every penny that has been given to the banks comes back, and that is why we are taking the action that is necessary to recoup the money from the banks.
I want a global financial levy that America -- that I've been talking to President Obama about -- and France and Germany are at least part of, because I don't want a race to the bottom and banks moving out of this country. Northern Rock failed, but it was a small bank. HSBC is successful, and it's a big bank. It's not the size of the banks, it's the way that some of them were being run.
And look, I tell you, the answer, David, is not to do what you say in your manifesto. You are planning to cut corporation tax for banks in your manifesto. You're going to take money from investment allowances from manufacturing industries in this region and give a corporation tax cut to the banks. Now, that, again, I'm afraid, is the same old story.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: So they're going at each other. I mean, you have the prime minister of the United States -- prime minister of England actually looking at his opponent in the eye and saying this is what you're doing wrong, and they seem quite comfortable at it.
Why is that?
CLARK: Well, you've got to remember that these guys do slug it out on the floor of the House Commons --
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: We don't do that in this country.
CLARK: You don't do that here. So the prime minister is used to being attacked by the opposition. But they don't do it in TV studios like they're doing now.
I have to explain that every week on the BBC, there's a program called "Question Time," where members of parliament from the different parties, they go on the TV and they face questions from the viewers. But the party leaders never do. So this will be riveting television in the United Kingdom.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: This is unique.
CLARK: Absolutely. They've never done it before. And I know off the back of the first debate, the audience figures were better than Britain's number one soap opera, "Coronation Street." So there's a lot of interest in this. Whether or not it's going to move the dynamic, I think this is score (ph) draw so far.
SANCHEZ: It's been a fascinating thing to watch, and I'm surprised by the liberal in this case, Clegg.
CLARK: Well, he's the guy -- yes. I mean, these debates have done one thing for Nick Clegg. They've told people who he is. They've given him a platform, they've given him a profile.
SANCHEZ: Nobody had ever heard of this guy.
CLARK: Well, no, because the liberals, since 1917, haven't had any kind of profile in British politics, by and large. This guy is now getting the same amount of air time as the (INAUDIBLE) and the prime minister.
SANCHEZ: Interesting.
CLARK: So, for him it's great.
SANCHEZ: Interesting perspective. We'll keep looking and dipping in.
We'll continue to follow the very latest on the immigration story.
And we're about to hear from Charlie Crist as to whether he's going to run as an Independent or as a Republican.
And, oh, yes, then there's little thing in the Gulf of Mexico.
We're all over those stories.
Roger Clark, my thanks to you. Thanks for coming out here and setting us straight on this. We appreciate it.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Call it "The Wolf Pack." Wolf Blitzer joins us now with his list of what's going on in the news.
Charlie Crist, I mean, you and I were talking about this yesterday. It sounds like it was a done deal, and now he's apparently caught on some elevator telling some reporter, I'm not quite sure. He's hedging his bet.
What's your take on this, Wolf?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We'll have to wait and see. He's supposed to be making this big announcement in the next hour.
It was supposed to be at the top of the hour. We're going to have live coverage in "THE SITUATION ROOM." Now we're being told it's closer maybe to 5:30 p.m. Eastern.
We know that Marco Rubio, the other Republican, he's getting ready to make his statement at 6:00, reacting to Charlie Crist. We have Kendrick Meek. He'll be my guest here in "THE SITUATION ROOM" after both of them speak, the Democratic congressman from south Florida.
This is a three-man race right now. At least that's what we were led to believe. So we're going to hear from all three of them live over the next two hours. So, by then, we'll presumably have a better appreciation of what's going on in Florida. SANCHEZ: Tell Kendrick I said hi. He and I know each other from a long time ago.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Yes, I know. He's a good man. All of them are good men. And this should be a lively contest.
SANCHEZ: Speaking of south Florida and politicians, you've got Marco Rubio teaming up with Shakira, opposing what's going on in Arizona. Now, here's Marco Rubio, the heart of the right of the Republican Party, darling of the Tea Parties, coming out and saying something which isn't going to be liked by a lot of people in that particular sphere.
BLITZER: And it's not just Marco Rubio. It's Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida, saying this is a bad idea for Republicans.
Karl Rove understands how important that Hispanic, the Latino vote, is out there. He's not happy about this. There are other Republicans who are deeply concerned about this new Arizona law.
SANCHEZ: But you know what? Karl Rove may be counting votes, because that's what he's always done and that's what he's paid to do. I mean, Karl Rove is more of a strategist. But Jeb Bush, you know Jeb, I know Jeb. I've known Jeb for many years when he was the governor of Florida.
This guy really believes this. He buys into this. He's into diversity.
He used to work in Mexico. He married a Colombian gal. His children were the ones once referred to as "the little brown ones" by his dad.
I mean, this is in his heart. That's why, I mean, when Jeb goes out and grabs Republicans and says, guys, you shouldn't do this, it seems almost different.
Doesn't it, Wolf?
BLITZER: Well, because I agree with you. I think as far as Jeb Bush is concerned, he appreciates this, he knows what some of the profiles are, some of the pitfalls of potential racial or ethnic profiling. He's very, very sensitive to it, as Marco Rubio.
I don't Marco Rubio. I've never spoken to him. I don't know him. I don't know if you've met him, but he's sensitive.
But let me ask you this, Rick. The Cuban-American community in south Florida, where do they come down if there is a monolith -- I don't think there necessarily is -- as far as the Arizona law is concerned?
SANCHEZ: No, there is. There's not a monolith, but most of the trending seems to show that they're split, and there's just as many people who are opposed to the law. Because, remember, what happened in south Florida, when south Florida first developed as just the Cuban community, since then there have been the Hondurans, the Venezuelans, the Nicaraguans, Central Americans. They've all come in, and it's kind of made south Florida a much more diverse Hispanic community.
That has led many in the Cuban community to actually think outside of their own sphere. So, in that sense, you actually are now getting people like Marco Rubio, who are Cuban, in the past maybe wouldn't have agreed with this, saying no, no. You know what? This isn't right and I'm going to oppose it, which is a courageous move.
BLITZER: It's a fascinating development, and I think one we're going to watch closely. I'm really anxious to hear what all three of these guys though, over the next couple of hours, what they say. And will Charlie Crist actually drop out of the Republican primary, as we were led to believe? What will Marco Rubio so?
Kendrick Meek, he's going to be here to respond. So it should be good TV.
SANCHEZ: You're going to have it all. It's going to happen on your watch. And who better to be under control of something like that?
Wolf Blitzer, my thanks to you. "THE SITUATION ROOM" --
BLITZER: Let me just say one other thing.
SANCHEZ: Go.
BLITZER: Thanks for sharing that British debate. I loved it.
SANCHEZ: I'm crazy about it. I'm recording it.
Thanks, man. We've got to go. My producer is yelling at me.
All right. I know a lot of you have been wondering where Brooke Baldwin is. I'm going to tell you right after the break. Stay right there. She's on assignment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: I so enjoy my conversations with Wolf Blitzer, and I so enjoy my conversations with Brooke Baldwin, by the way, ,when she comes out here and sits on the set with us. But she's working on a story for us. She's on assignment, and this is a little something that we're going to be bringing you tomorrow.
By the way, she tweeted this, this morning: "Heading out for early a.m. interview. Bringing immigration debate to another level today. Ever heard of 287G?"
Should I tell you what it is? No. I'll let her tell you.
She's going to bring you up to date on how this -- some of these laws that are taking place all over the country are affecting not just Arizona, but other states as well. And that's what she's doing for us.
In the meantime, thanks so much for being with us. I'll look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.
In the meantime, here now, "THE SITUATION ROOM" and Wolf Blitzer.
